Handgun Sight Alignment and Aiming

Sight Alignment

Sight alignment, which is important in rifle shooting, is even more important in pistol shooting because of the shorter distance between the sights. Typically, handgun sights consist of a square rear notch sight and a heavy square front blade sight. This arrangement is easy to align.

Most handguns are initially sighted-in at 50 feet.

Aiming

At the shooting range, many handgunners use a sight picture that places the bull’s-eye on the top of the front sight, rather than placing it in the sights over the center of the target. However, hunters should hold the alignment directly over the vital area.

Scopes with long eye relief have become popular with handgunners and offer exact sighting for hunters. Scopes may take longer to align on a target than open sights, but they’re usually more accurate.